July 31, 2015

What
do you do when you have heaps of blueberries and you don’t know what to do with
them before they go old, wrinkly and mushy?You toss them all into a glorious, summery galette, which is just a
fancy French word to describe a free-form crusty cake.

This
Blueberry-Pistachio Galette is
rustic, unpretentious and slightly sloppy, so don’t worry if the dough breaks
while baking and the filling oozes out a bit.Sometimes I feel that the messier this galette looks the more beautiful
it is, not to mention mighty tasty.You
basically have sweet, juicy blueberries encased into a rich, crisp crust.I only used sugar for the finishing touch
before popping the galette in the oven, but if you want to take it a step
further, gently press a few sliced almonds into the crust and then sprinkle
with sugar for that extra bite and crunch.

This
is by far one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make and it’s a great stepping
stone for novice bakers. Serve it on its
own or with a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream right on top to gently melt
into the hot, bubbly blueberries. So,
don’t waste any more time and grab some blueberries, blackberries or even strawberries
and start baking.

Last
weekend, Adrian and I had the pleasure to attend a fabulous wedding in our
beloved Boston.And I’d like to dedicate
this galette to my best friend Rachel, the gorgeous bride, who loves
blueberries, cooking, wine, the pink color, opera, and her husband Andi above
all.I feel so happy and privileged to
have been a part of their special day!It
was a truly amazing, sophisticated and unforgettable wedding topped with an
elegant layer cake of silky, lemony goodness dotted with bright blueberries,
and a smooth, stripy tiramisu deliciousness.Damn, that cake was good and the wedding was even better!Casă de piatră!

Blueberry-Pistachio Galette

Adapted
from Bon Appétit (July 2015)

Makes:
10 servings

Ingredients for the Dough:

·½ cup pistachios, toasted (pecans or almonds
also work well)

·1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

·1 Tablespoon sugar

·½ teaspoon kosher salt

·¼ teaspoon cinnamon

·½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut
into pieces

Ingredients for the Filling and Assembly:

·12 oz. blueberries (about 2 cups)

·1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

·1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

·¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

·All-purpose flour (for the surface)

·2 Tablespoons milk, half-and-half, or heavy
cream

Instructions for the Dough:

If
you can’t find the already roasted pistachios, preheat the oven to 350° F.Toast the pistachios on a rimmed baking
sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 10-15 minutes;
let cool.

Pulse
the pistachios in a food processor until the consistency of coarse meal.Add the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and
pulse just to combine.Add the butter
and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces
remaining.

Transfer
to a large bowl; drizzle with 4 Tablespoons of ice water and mix, adding
another Tablespoon of water if needed, just until the mixture comes
together.Gently pat the dough into a 6”
– diameter disk.Wrap the dough in
plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

Do
ahead:the dough can be made 2 days
ahead.Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1
month.

Instructions for the Filling and
Assembly:

Preheat
the oven to 375° F.Toss the
blueberries, flour, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of sugar in a large bowl.

Roll
out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12” round.Carefully transfer the dough to a
parchment-lined baking sheet.Mound the
blueberries in the center of the dough, leaving a 2” border.Fold the edges over, overlapping
slightly.Brush the dough with milk and
sprinkle with sugar.

Bake
the galette until the crust is dark golden-brown and the filling is bubbling,
about 45-50 minutes.Let the galette
cool before serving.

Do
ahead: the galette can be baked 1 day ahead.Store the galette tightly wrapped at room temperature.